3 shocking cuts 49ers could make before Week 1
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: 49ers Wide Receiver Dante Pettis
Jalen Hurd would be a surprising departure mainly because of injury setbacks, should they continue to haunt him. Third-year wide receiver Dante Pettis, however, could prompt a shocking cut simply because of the dramatic fall-out he had with Kyle Shanahan last year.
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Shanahan called Pettis out during the preseason a year ago. And while Pettis had a couple of flash moments during the regular season, his usage eventually diminished to the point where he was inactive for Super Bowl LIV.
And Pettis’ future hopes weren’t aided by San Francisco bringing aboard rookie wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings in the NFL Draft last April, either.
The Niners receiver room is awfully crowded this offseason, even if it’s not overly talented just yet, which will prompt some tough decisions by Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. Out of the deep crop, only Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne are essentially guaranteed spots. Pettis, Hurd, Trent Taylor, Richie James and Travis Benjamin, among others, are all vying for essentially three spots on the roster.
Pettis, however, stands apart from that bunch, being a second-round pick for whom the 49ers traded up back in 2018.
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If Pettis can’t carve out a role for himself, it would be quite the fall from grace and would be a shocking, disappointing end to a tenure which had so much promise not long ago.